Thu Mar 06 13:57:08 UTC 2025: ## IndiGo Takes Flight to Europe: New Long-Haul Services to Manchester and Amsterdam

**New Delhi, March 6, 2025** – IndiGo, India’s largest airline, announced today its foray into long-haul international flights, launching non-stop services to Manchester and Amsterdam beginning July 2025. This marks an acceleration of the airline’s international expansion plans.

The airline will operate three weekly flights to each city, contingent upon receiving all necessary regulatory approvals and completing operational preparations. These flights will utilize a Boeing 787-9 widebody aircraft, wet-leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, featuring 56 “IndiGo Stretch” seats and 282 economy seats. Three additional Boeing 787-9s are expected to join IndiGo’s fleet by the end of 2025.

This move temporarily addresses a gap created by delays in the delivery of Airbus A321 XLR aircraft, originally slated for 2024-2025 but now delayed due to certification issues. The XLRs were intended to provide IndiGo with the long-range capabilities to serve European destinations. IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, has previously expressed intentions to expand to cities like Athens, Rome, and Seoul using the XLRs upon their arrival. The airline also currently utilizes wet-leased Boeing 777s from Turkish Airlines for flights to Istanbul, facilitating onward connections to 35 European and US destinations via codeshare agreements.

IndiGo’s commitment to long-haul travel was further solidified last April with an order of 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, expected to be integrated into the fleet from 2027. The airline stated that the current strategy of leveraging wet-leased aircraft allows them to establish a strong presence in the European market ahead of the arrival of their own wide-body fleet.

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